Poll of readers says Fox News is still No. 1 on TV, but should it be hearing footsteps?

U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, speaks speaks to the media before a town hall meeting in Huntsville at the University of Alabama in Huntsville's Shelby Center for Science and Technology Monday, November 4, 2013 in Huntsville, Ala. (Eric Schultz / eschultz@al.com)

An unscientific poll here last week found that Fox News is still AL.com readers' No. 1 trusted news national news source, but the combined viewership of other networks came pretty close. In the poll, 39 percent of readers responding said they trusted Fox, which put that network far ahead of the 21 percent who trust CBS, ABC and NBC.

However, almost 10 percent of those responding said they trust MSNBC. Add that to the 21 percent trusting the Big Three networks and Fox's lead is still impressive, but a lot of people look elsewhere.

The poll itself drew more than a few skeptical comments from readers. It was prompted by U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks' comment last week that he didn't trust anyone on national news to tell him the truth, but one reader pointed out that Brooks' thanked a large Huntsville aerospace-defense audience last year for watching Fox.

"This poll is poorly drafted and the results won't mean a thing. First, how is Fox News included with "Major National News Outlets" but CNN, Headline, Bloomberg, Hell even C-Span are not included?" asked reader Tina. "I think it's great to get people talking about and/or criticizing the media, but this will just generate a bunch of noise and devolve into name-calling."

Sure enough, at least one reader thought the poll showed why liberals should have to wear signs in public and another said it just showed how "knuckle-draggers" like Brooks are elected by knuckle-draggers in the public.

Other readers wondered why the poll didn't offer readers the same option Brooks said he chooses: Don't trust any of them without independent verification. It was a good poiint.